Kyeema Conservation Park

Kyeema Conservation Park

Research

Kyeema Con­ser­va­tion Park is locat­ed on the Fleurieu Penin­su­la and spans over 347 hectares. Walk­ing along the trails you will notice an over­storey of main­ly mess­mate stringy bark (Euca­lyp­tus obli­qua), with some pink gum (E. fas­ci­cu­losa) and cup gum (E. cos­mo­phyl­la), part­nered with a thick and diverse under storey.

National Parks and Wildlife Service (SA) | Kyeema Conservation Park

Location

Kyeema Conservation Park is located between Mount Compass and Ashbourne, south of Adelaide in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges. The park is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, a branch of the Department of Environment and Water, Government of South Australia.

This map is available as a PDF from the Kyeema Conservation Park online page.

National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia | Map: Kyeema Conservation Park

Geology/Lithology

The geology which laid down the rock formation occurred within the Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic eras between 2500 to 1600 million years ago. The rock type is referred to as the Barossa Complex. Kyeema Conservation Park is part of a larger area of Barossa Complex which starts north above Mount Compass and Yundi, encompassing Kyeema and the conservation park.

The image below shows the distribution of Barossa complex which stretches north of Mount Compass on a diagonal angle towards Kuitpo. The underlying geology and rock type (lithology) is defined using the Atlas of Australia: Lithology layer, an online tool provided by the Australian Government: GeoScience agency.

Metamorphic rocks with retrograde metamorphism; metasediments, strongly banded parallel to gneissic foliation; minor intrusive granitic, pegmatitic and amphibolitic dykes.

The Atlas of Australia | Lithology: Barossa Complex

Atlas of Australia: Lithology layer | Barossa Complex

Topography

Kyeema Conservation Park is located on a hill which reaches over 360 metres in elevation in the centre of the park. When precipitation falls on the park, it drains on the north-western side to Meadows Creek and to Blackfellows Creek on the south-east side. Both creeks are tributaries of the Finniss River, which drains into the Murray-Darling catchment.

Soils

The soils which lie beneath the woodland community is defined by the soil landscape BOT (Bob Tiers Land System).

Government of South Australia | Bob Tiers Land System

NatureMaps: Soils | Mount Compass (BOTAeC)

NatureMaps: Soils | Mount Compass (BOTAeD)

The majority of the soils are sandy loam surfaced texture contrast soils with friable brown to red clayey subsoils forming in freshly weathered or kaolinitic weathered basement rock. There are shallow stony soils on steeper rocky slopes, and sandy loam ironstone soils on flat topped crests. Deep sandy loam texture contrast soils dominate valley flats, associated with deep gradational sandy loams and dark clay loams.

Rolling to very steep low hills and hills formed on schists of the Barossa Complex. Surface rock and stone are variable, with very rocky patches occurring most commonly on steepest slopes.

  • AeC: Rolling low hills with minor to moderate rock and stone, and well defined, narrow drainage depressions; relief is up to 100 m and slopes are 18-30%.
  • AeD: Steep to very steep and very rocky hillslopes with very narrow crests and drainage depressions; relief is up to 175 m and slopes are 30-80%.

Most soils have texture contrast profiles with sandy loam surfaces overlying friable clayey subsoils forming in fresh weathering rock. On upper slopes where rocks are deeply weathered and kaolinized, soils are similar but deeper. Shallow stony soils are common on rocky and steep slopes. Deeper texture contrast and stony soils on local alluvium and colluvium occur on lower slopes and drainage depressions.

Main soils: Acidic sandy loam over brown clay on schist – K4a (E) on hillslopes
Acidic sandy loam over brown clay on kaolinized schist – K4b (L) on upper slopes

  • Shallow stony sandy loam – L1 (E) on steeper rocky slopes
  • Sandy loam over brown or red clay – F1c (L) on deeply weathered rock on lower slopes
  • Sandy loam over brown mottled clay – F1a (M) in drainage depressions
  • Gradational red loamy sand – M1a (M) in drainage depressions

Government of South Australia | Bob Tiers Land System

Agricultural potential

The main soils are moderately deep and moderately to well drained. Inherent fertility is relatively low, and soils are highly susceptible to acidification. The land is too steep for uses involving regular cultivation, but there is some potential for perennial horticultural and floricultural crops where water is available.

Government of South Australia | Bob Tiers Land System

Plant Communities

There are five plant communities indentified in NatureMaps within the Kyeema Conservation Park boundaries:

  • Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) open forest (ML0101PE)
  • Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) + Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) Open Forest (ML0201PE)
  • Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) + Pink Gum (Eucalyptus fasciculosa) + Cup Gum (Eucalyptus cosmophylla) Low Woodland (ML0404PE)
  • Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) over Pink Gum(Eucalyptus fasciculosa) Open Forest over sclerophyll shrubs (ML0801PE)
  • Red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis var. camaldulensis) woodland (AP0005PE)
Kyeema Conservation Park plant communities

Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) open forest occupies the central part of the park occupies the highlands sloping towards Blackfellows creek.

Plant community ID: ML0101PE

Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) + Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) open forest occupies the sloping land which drains to the northwest into Meadows creek.

Plant community ID: ML0201PE

Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) + Pink Gum (Eucalyptus fasciculosa) + Cup Gum (Eucalyptus cosmophylla) low woodland occupies the highest elevation areas which are greater than 350 metres.

Plant community ID: ML0404PE

Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) over Pink Gum(Eucalyptus fasciculosa) Open Forest over sclerophyll shrubs occupies the downhill slope on the southwestern side of a hill.

Plant community ID: ML0801PE

Red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis var. camaldulensis) woodland occupies the lowlands which drain into Meadows creek. The Red gum woodland occupied the Meadows creek lowlands and its tributaries.

Plant community ID: AP0005PE

Fauna observed through NatureMaps

Using NatureMaps, it is possible to generate a table of fauna which have been observed in the Kyeema Conservation Park observation records. The dataset is specific to Kyeema Conservation Park, containing almost 130 observations since 1969 to 2025.

  • NSXCODE. Unique code for each taxonomic entity (species name) in the database, used to allow record taxonomy to be updated as changes occur.
  • Fauna SPECIES code. Generated from a combination of the first two letters of the dataset (e.g. SU = Survey), the first letter of the taxon group (e.g. A=Amphibia, B=Birds, F = Fish, I = Invertebrates, M = Mammalia and R = Reptilia)
  • CLASS NAME. Taxonomic class to which the species belongs, related to the field named CLASSNR. Class Names: ‘AMPHIBIA’=Amphibians, ‘AVES’=Birds, ‘PETROMYZONTI’=Lampreys, ‘MAMMALIA’=Mammals, ‘ACTINOPTERI’=Fish, ‘REPTILIA’=Reptiles, ‘CHONDRICHTHYES’=Sharks & Rays, ‘MYXINI’=Hagfish, ‘INVERTEBRATES’=Invertebrates
  • SPECIES. This is the scientific name for the native animal.
  • COMMON NAME. This is the common name of the native animal.
  • NATIVE (Y/N). Y=Yes and indicates that the plant is indigenously native to the conservation park.
  • FEDERAL RATING. National conservation rating of the species based on the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. VU = Vulnerable, EN = Endangered, CR = Critically Endangered, EX = Extinct, CD = Conservation. Dependent. Endangered Species Status Code is based on the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
  • SA RATING. South Australian conservation rating of the species based on the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. R = Rare, V = Vulnerable, E = Endangered.
  • RECORD indicates the number of sightings made for the given species.
  • DATE indicates the last date the species was observed in this dataset. Date format has been altered from DD-MMM-YYYY to YYYY-MM-DD so that it is possible to filter dates from latest to oldest observation.
NSXCODESPECIESCLASSSPECIESCOMMON NAMENATIVENATIONAL RATINGSTATE RATINGNUMBER OF RECORDSDATE OF LAST RECORD
E03134AAMPHIBIACrinia signiferaClicking FrogletY42016-07-23
M03058AAMPHIBIALimnodynastes dumeriliiEastern Banjo FrogY22000-02-28
G03063AAMPHIBIALimnodynastes tasmaniensisSpotted Marsh FrogY11978-05-01
C03117AAMPHIBIAPseudophryne bibroniiBrown BroodfrogYR22020-04-20
G06815AAMPHIBIARawlinsonia calliscelisSouth Australian Tree FrogY11978-05-01
E00486BAVESAcanthiza chrysorrhoaYellow-rumped ThornbillY52018-05-30
M21142BAVESAcanthiza chrysorrhoa leighiYellow-rumped Thornbill (eastern SA)Y12015-12-12
M00470BAVESAcanthiza lineataStriated ThornbillYssp92018-08-19
K21053BAVESAcanthiza lineata clelandiStriated Thornbill (MLR, SE)Y242024-11-03
Z00471BAVESAcanthiza nanaYellow ThornbillY11998-06-06
W00475BAVESAcanthiza pusillaBrown ThornbillY52018-08-19
Z21055BAVESAcanthiza pusilla samueliBrown Thornbill (MLR)Y282024-11-03
E04170BAVESAcanthiza reguloides australisBuff-rumped ThornbillY22000-05-29
W04143BAVESAcanthorhynchus tenuirostrisEastern SpinebillY72018-08-19
Q21056BAVESAcanthorhynchus tenuirostris halmaturinusEastern Spinebill (KI, MLR, southern FR)Y152020-01-27
S04125BAVESAccipiter cirrocephalus cirrocephalusCollared SparrowhawkY12016-11-26
A04152BAVESAccipiter fasciatus fasciatusBrown GoshawkY12007-11-11
W00211BAVESAnas gracilis gracilisGrey TealY11991-03-17
E04146BAVESAnas superciliosaPacific Black DuckY22013-09-27
W04127BAVESAnthochaera carunculataRed WattlebirdY192020-01-06
Z21071BAVESAnthochaera carunculata woodwardiRed Wattlebird (MLR, AP, YP, EP, far west, Yellabinna)Y12015-12-12
G00647BAVESAnthus australisAustralian PipitY11978-05-01
G04139BAVESAquila audax audaxWedge-tailed EagleY42001-09-20
W00547BAVESArtamus cyanopterusDusky WoodswallowY22019-08-17
Q04176BAVESCacatua galeritaSulphur-crested CockatooY62019-12-09
W00271BAVESCacatua sanguinea gymnopisLittle CorellaY11978-05-01
S04141BAVESCacomantis flabelliformis flabelliformisFan-tailed CuckooY72019-10-15
C00337BAVESCacomantis pallidusPallid CuckooY12018-04-13
M00614BAVESCaligavis chrysopsYellow-faced HoneyeaterY42017-10-08
U21074BAVESCaligavis chrysops samueliYellow-faced Honeyeater (MLR, southern FR)Y152020-01-27
U00342BAVESChalcites basalisHorsfield’s Bronze CuckooY32017-10-08
A00344BAVESChalcites lucidus plagosusShining Bronze CuckooY52019-10-15
U00202BAVESChenonetta jubataManed DuckY32013-09-27
G04171BAVESClimacteris picumnus picumnusBrown TreecreeperY12016-11-26
A00408BAVESColluricincla harmonicaGrey ShrikethrushY342024-11-03
A21148BAVESColluricincla harmonica harmonicaGrey Shrikethrush (eastern SA)Y22017-09-21
Y04120BAVESCoracina novaehollandiaeBlack-faced CuckooshrikeY42013-09-27
S00693BAVESCorcorax melanorhamphosWhite-winged ChoughYR32018-05-30
Y04172BAVESCormobates leucophaeaWhite-throated TreecreeperY72018-05-30
C21077BAVESCormobates leucophaea grisescensWhite-throated Treecreeper (MLR)Y312024-11-03
E00954BAVESCorvus melloriLittle RavenY292024-07-28
E10334BAVESCorvus sp.Ravens, CrowsY12017-03-31
M00322BAVESDacelo novaeguineae novaeguineaeLaughing KookaburraY132020-01-06
C00549BAVESDaphoenositta chrysoptera pileataBlack-capped SittellaY12024-07-28
U04150BAVESDicaeum hirundinaceum hirundinaceumMistletoebirdY22020-01-06
G04199BAVESEgretta novaehollandiaeWhite-faced HeronY32007-11-11
C00273BAVESEolophus roseicapillaGalahY232020-01-06
Q21152BAVESEolophus roseicapilla albicepsGalah (most of SA)Y22017-09-21
C04129BAVESFalco cenchroides cenchroidesNankeen KestrelY12007-11-11
Z00235BAVESFalco longipennis murchisonianusAustralian HobbyY32001-09-20
K04181BAVESFalcunculus frontatus frontatusEastern ShriketitYR21993-10-19
E00258BAVESGlossopsitta concinnaMusk LorikeetY42020-01-27
W00415BAVESGrallina cyanoleuca cyanoleucaMagpielarkY82019-10-28
S00705BAVESGymnorhina tibicenAustralian MagpieY312020-01-27
Q00228BAVESHaliastur sphenurusWhistling KiteY12015-12-12
K00357BAVESHirundo neoxena neoxenaWelcome SwallowY72019-12-09
K04369BAVESHylacola pyrrhopygia parkeriChestnut-rumped Heathwren (Mount Lofty Ranges)YENE22019-08-17
S00529BAVESMalurus cyaneusSuperb FairywrenY112018-08-19
W21103BAVESMalurus cyaneus leggeiSuperb Fairywren (Mainland SA)Y232024-07-28
G00583BAVESMelithreptus brevirostrisBrown-headed HoneyeaterYssp142020-01-06
A21104BAVESMelithreptus brevirostris brevirostrisBrown-headed Honeyeater (lower SE)Y32018-04-13
E21106BAVESMelithreptus brevirostris pallidicepsBrown-headed Honeyeater (MLR, MM)Y12015-12-12
A00580BAVESMelithreptus gularisBlack-chinned HoneyeaterYssp12001-05-12
S04133BAVESMelithreptus lunatusWhite-naped HoneyeaterY92019-12-09
C04137BAVESMicrocarbo melanoleucos melanoleucosLittle Pied CormorantY31998-06-06
G04075BAVESNeochmia temporalis temporalisRed-browed FinchY72018-05-30
Z00307BAVESNeophema elegans elegansElegant ParrotYR142020-10-09
M00242BAVESNinox boobookAustralian BoobookY22019-08-17
W00043BAVESOcyphaps lophotes lophotesCrested PigeonY11991-03-17
E09418BAVESPachycephala fuliginosa fuliginosaWestern WhistlerY332020-01-27
G09419BAVESPachycephala pectoralis youngiAustralian Golden WhistlerY22024-11-03
K00401BAVESPachycephala rufiventris rufiventrisRufous WhistlerY32017-10-08
G04227BAVESPardalotus punctatusSpotted PardaloteY22013-09-27
Q00976BAVESPardalotus striatus substriatusStriated PardaloteY212020-01-27
G00259BAVESParvipsitta porphyrocephalaPurple-crowned LorikeetY22020-01-06
U00106BAVESPelecanus conspicillatusAustralian PelicanY22017-10-08
A04128BAVESPetrochelidon nigricansTree MartinY52020-01-27
Y00380BAVESPetroica boodang boodangScarlet RobinYR212024-07-28
Z00383BAVESPetroica rodinogaster inexpectataPink RobinY11978-09-04
C00097BAVESPhalacrocorax sulcirostrisLittle Black CormorantY12013-09-27
U00034BAVESPhaps chalcopteraCommon BronzewingY132020-01-06
U04142BAVESPhaps elegans elegansBrush BronzewingY32018-04-13
U04126BAVESPhylidonyris novaehollandiaeNew Holland HoneyeaterY152020-01-27
Z00631BAVESPhylidonyris novaehollandiae novaehollandiaeNew Holland Honeyeater (mainland SA)Y122017-09-21
M00630BAVESPhylidonyris pyrrhopterusCrescent HoneyeaterY102018-08-19
S21081BAVESPhylidonyris pyrrhopterus halmaturinusCrescent Honeyeater (KI and MLR)Y312024-11-03
E00282BAVESPlatycercus elegansCrimson RosellaYssp262024-07-28
G00283BAVESPlatycercus elegans fleurieuensis & elegans subadelaidaeAdelaide Rosella (MN, AP, MLR)Y72017-09-21
E00062BAVESPoliocephalus poliocephalusHoary-headed GrebeY11978-05-01
M00622BAVESPtilotula ornataYellow-plumed HoneyeaterY11981-01-04
S00625BAVESPtilotula penicillataWhite-plumed HoneyeaterY32018-05-30
C00361BAVESRhipidura albiscapaGrey FantailY362024-07-28
S21145BAVESRhipidura albiscapa alisteriGrey Fantail (southern SA)Y32024-11-03
M04114BAVESRhipidura leucophrys leucophrysWillie WagtailY52017-10-08
S05981BAVESSericornis frontalisWhite-browed ScrubwrenY122024-07-28
G04251BAVESSericornis frontalis (NC)White-browed ScrubwrenY132018-05-30
S21101BAVESSericornis frontalis rosinaeWhite-browed Scrubwren (MLR)Y42024-07-28
Y21052BAVESStagonopleura bella samueliBeautiful Firetail (MLR, KI)YENR11978-05-01
C00697BAVESStrepera versicolorGrey CurrawongYssp202024-11-03
G09427BAVESStrepera versicolor melanopteraBlack-winged Currawong (MLR, MM, SE)Y142017-09-21
C00061BAVESTachybaptus novaehollandiae novaehollandiaeAustralasian GrebeY32013-09-27
A04216BAVESThreskiornis molucca moluccaAustralian White IbisY21992-04-11
Q00180BAVESThreskiornis spinicollisStraw-necked IbisY22013-09-27
U00326BAVESTodiramphus sanctus sanctusSacred KingfisherY22020-01-06
U00254BAVESTrichoglossus moluccanus moluccanusRainbow LorikeetY152019-12-09
G04219BAVESVanellus milesMasked LapwingY11978-05-01
A05384BAVESZoothera lunulata halmaturinaSouth Australian Bassian Thrush (southern FR, MLR, KI)YENR592024-07-28
E00574BAVESZosterops lateralisSilvereyeY192020-01-06
A21076BAVESZosterops lateralis pinarochrousSilvereye (EP, YP, FR, MLR, MM, SE)Y22017-09-21
S06625IINVERTEBRATESAleuroduplidens eucalyptifoliaspecies of whitefliyY12020-10-26
C06629IINVERTEBRATESDumbletoniella eucalyptispecies of WhitefliesY12020-10-26
A06628IINVERTEBRATESDumbletoniella xanthorrhoeaespecies of WhitefliesY12020-10-26
Z15239IINVERTEBRATESUnidentified INVERTEBRATA sp.n/aY22020-10-26
Z01027MMAMMALIAAntechinus flavipesYellow-footed AntechinusYV242019-06-09
C01349MMAMMALIAChalinolobus gouldiiGould’s Wattled BatY11982-09-22
G04375MMAMMALIAIsoodon obesulus obesulusSouthern Brown Bandicoot (SA mainland and KI)YENV222025-12-13
Z01263MMAMMALIAMacropus fuliginosusWestern Grey KangarooY182019-06-09
S01265MMAMMALIAMacropus giganteusEastern Grey KangarooY12017-03-31
E10490MMAMMALIAMacropus sp.Y11969-09-20
E01162MMAMMALIAPhascolarctos cinereusKoalaY12020-04-20
C01129MMAMMALIAPseudocheirus peregrinusCommon Ringtail PossumY181996-12-07
Z01395MMAMMALIARattus fuscipesBush RatY482019-06-09
U04186MMAMMALIARattus lutreolusSwamp RatYR21978-05-01
W01003MMAMMALIATachyglossus aculeatusShort-beaked EchidnaYsspssp112000-02-29
K01113MMAMMALIATrichosurus vulpeculaCommon Brushtail PossumYR42019-06-08
C01381MMAMMALIAVespadelus darlingtoniLarge Forest BatY11982-09-22
M01378MMAMMALIAVespadelus regulusSouthern Forest BatY11982-09-22
E01242MMAMMALIAWallabia bicolorSwamp WallabyY1492023-10-23
U02682RREPTILIAAcritoscincus duperreyiEastern Three-lined SkinkY62000-03-02
U02614RREPTILIAAustrelaps labialisPygmy CopperheadY21994-12-01
M02126RREPTILIAChristinus marmoratusCommon Marbled GeckoY21983-06-12
K02441RREPTILIAHemiergis decresiensisThree-toed Earless SkinkY42000-03-01
Z02451RREPTILIALampropholis guichenotiGarden SkinkY142020-04-20
G02475RREPTILIALerista bougainvilliiSoutheastern SliderY92000-03-02
E02430RREPTILIALiopholis whitiiWhite’s SkinkY62020-04-20
S02525RREPTILIAMorethia adelaidensisAdelaide Snake-eyeY11983-06-12
iNaturalist: Kyeema Conservation Park

In addition to the observations available through NatureMaps, citizen scientists are able to document their observations using iNaturalist. Their observations are detailed in the above link.


Photo by: eamonn_c, 2022, https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/321098-Correa-reflexa, iNaturalist

Birdlife

Peter Gower, in Fleurieu Birds p. 249 indicates spotting 58 birds within Kyeema Conservation Park. This represents 25% of all birds listed in Fleurieu Birds:

  • Australian Wood Duck | Chenonetta jubata
  • Hardhead | Aythya (Nyroca) australis
  • Australasian Grebe | Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
  • Little Pied Cormorant | Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
  • Australian Pelican | Plecanus conspicillatus
  • White-faced Heron | Egretta novaehollandiae
  • Straw-necked Ibis | Threskiornis spinicollis
  • Brown Goshawk | Accipiter fasciatus
  • Wedge-tailed eagle | Aquila audax
  • Nankeen Kestrel | Falco cenchroides
  • Brown Falcon | Falco berigora
  • Australian Hobby | Falco longipennis
  • Dusky Moorhen | Gallinula tenebrosa
  • Common Bronzewing | Phaps chalcoptera
  • Brush Bronzewing | Phaps elegans
  • Crested Pigeon | Ocyphaps lophotes
  • Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo | Calyptorhynchus funereus
  • Galah | Eolophus roseicapilla
  • Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | Cacatua (Cacatua) galerita
  • Rainbow Lorikeet | Trichoglossus haematodus
  • Adelaide Rosella | Platycercus eximius
  • Elegant Parrot | Neophema elegens
  • Horsefield’s Bronze-Cuckoo  | Chryscoccyx basalis
  • Fan-tailed Cuckoo | Cacomantis flabellifornis
  • Laughing Kookaburra | Dacelo novaeguineae
  • White-throated Treecreeper | Cormobates leucophaeus
  • Superb Fairy-wren | Malurus cyaneus
  • White-browed Scrubwren | Sericornus frontalis
  • Weebill | Smicrormis brevirostris
  • Striated Thornbill | Acanthiza lineata
  • Brown Thornbill | Acanthiza pusilla
  • Yellow-rumped Thornbill | Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
  • Buff-rumped Thornbill | Acanthiza reguloides
  • Striated pardalote | Pardolotus striatus
  • Eastern Spinebill | Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
  • Yellow-faced Honeyeater | Lichenostomus chrysops
  • White-plumed Honeyeater | Phylidonyris penicillatus
  • Little Wattlebird | Anthochaera lunulata
  • Red Wattlebird | Anthochaera corunculata
  • Crescent Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera
  • New Holland Honeyeater | Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
  • Brown-headed Honeyeater | Melithreptus brevirostris
  • White-naped Honeyeater | Melithreptus lunatus
  • White-fronted Chat | Epthianura albifrons
  • Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike | Coracina novaehollandiae
  • Golden Whistler | Pachyephala pectoralis
  • Rufous Whistler | Pachyephala rufiventris
  • Grey Shrike-thrush | Colluricincla harmonica
  • Australian Magpie | Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Grey Currawong | Strepera versicolor
  • Grey Fantail | Rhipidura albiscapa
  • Willie Wagtail | Rhipidura leucophrys
  • Little Raven | Corvus mellori
  • Magpie-lark | Grillina cyanoleuca
  • Scarlet Robin | Petroica boodang
  • Australian Reed-Warbler | Acrocephalus australis
  • Silvereye | Zosterops lateralis
  • Welcome Swallow | Hirundo neoxena
  • Tree Martin | Hirundo nigracans
  • Common Blackbird | Turdus merula
  • Common Starling | Sterns vulgaris
  • Mistletoebird | Dicaeum hirundinaceum
  • Zebra Finch | Taeniopygia guttata
  • Red-browed Finch | Neochmia temporalis
  • European Goldfinch | Stagonopleura guttata
  • European Greenfinch | Carduelis chloris
European History

The area was mined for allu­vial gold for sev­er­al years until it was aban­doned in 1890 due to low yield. A few years lat­er some of the area was cleared for pine plan­ta­tions before being used as a labour prison reserve. This area at the west­ern end of the park, once known as the Kyeema Prison Camp, was estab­lished in 1932. The camp was intend­ed for well-behaved pris­on­ers from Yata­la, it held around thir­teen pris­on­ers and only two guards, with the pris­on­ers were placed on their hon­our to behave. The Kyeema Prison Camp closed in the mid 1950’s and today there is only a cleared area of land vis­i­ble to remind us of the Prison Cam­p’s existence.

National Parks and Wildlife Service (SA) | Kyeema Conservation Park

References

  • Government of South Australia 2025, Bob Tiers Land System, viewed on 30 January, 2026, <https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Content/Land-System-reports/BOT.pdf>. This PDF discusses the soils within a discontinuous belt of low hills and hills between Kuitpo and Yankalilla.
  • Government of South Australia: Department of the Environment and Water 2023, BDBSA SuperTables – Overview, viewed on 28 August, 2026, <https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Content/Publications/bdbsa-supertable-overview-fact.pdf>. This 3 page PDF provides an overview of the Biological Databases of South Australia super tables.
  • Government of South Australia: Department of the Environment and Water 2023, Biological Databases of South Australia – Overview, viewed on 28 August, 2026, <https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Content/Publications/bdbsa-overview-fact.pdf>. This 3 page PDF provides an overview of the Biological Databases of South Australia.
  • Government of South Australia: Department of the Environment and Water 2026, BDBSA SuperTables – Field Definitions, viewed on 28 August, 2026, <https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Content/Publications/bdbsa-supertable-field-definitions-fact.pdf>. This 7 page PDF contains a list of descriptions of Biological Databases of South Australia  super tables
  • Gower, P. 2012, Fleurieu Birds: What to see and where to see them, Axiom Australia, Stepney (Adelaide)

Related